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PHOTO: Heber Springs Homecoming Pep Rally
Tag: Easton Cusick
PHOTO: Heber Springs Homecoming Pep Rally
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PHOTO: Heber Springs Homecoming Pep Rally
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PHOTO: Heber Springs Homecoming Pep Rally
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Please consider helping support local and independent journalism by donating today.
ALL PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHTED. The owner of the copyright does grant free personal and/or social media use for all photos as long as photo credit (when reasonably possible) is given to this website. Use for any other commercial purpose or other publication (such as other news or blog sites) without permission is prohibited. All photos are taken in a public setting where a reasonable right to privacy does not exist. They are taken for news gathering and informational purposes. If you wish to have photo removed, please get in touch with the publisher of the website through the comments section with the reason for removal request.
PHOTO: Heber Springs Homecoming Pep Rally
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Please consider helping support local and independent journalism by donating today.
ALL PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHTED. The owner of the copyright does grant free personal and/or social media use for all photos as long as photo credit (when reasonably possible) is given to this website. Use for any other commercial purpose or other publication (such as other news or blog sites) without permission is prohibited. All photos are taken in a public setting where a reasonable right to privacy does not exist. They are taken for news gathering and informational purposes. If you wish to have photo removed, please get in touch with the publisher of the website through the comments section with the reason for removal request.
Senior Spotlight: Zane Lozeau
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By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
Zane Lozeau didn’t take long to become a part of the 100th edition of the Heber Springs Panthers.
Lozeau, a starting cornerback and also plays wide receiver, transferred from Dover during the summer. He admitted it was a change from his hometown, but felt 100 percent acceptance.
“Nothing against Dover, but the team accepted me on the first day,” he said. “The school, community and fans really get behind the team. It feels great to be a part of the 100th year and the team.”
Lozeau said when the Panthers played at Dover, it felt strange, but the game turned into a memorable one.
“The touchdown I scored at Dover was my first one ever,” he said. “It also was the first time that I played on a high school team that won a game.”
Lozeau expects to play more on offense, especially after Easton Cusick moved to quarterback. Cusick became the new quarterback when Xander Lindley broke his collarbone early in last week’s game at Bald Knob.
“I play most of the time on defense, but I might play more receiver now,” he said. “One of the things I liked about the team is everyone gets behind you. That helps a player during a game.”
The Panthers are tied with Little Rock Mills and Clinton for fourth place in the 2-4A Conference and only one game behind second place Lonoke and Southside Batesville. Heber Springs will conclude the season against Clinton at home and a game at Mills.
Lozeau said the focus this week is on Friday’s homecoming game against Southside.
“This would be my first time to play in the playoffs if we go,” he said. “Every game counts, and I don’t want to leave anything out on the field. We will be ready for Friday’s game.”
Panther GameDay: Homecoming awaits
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By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
A mission awaits the Heber Springs Panthers for homecoming at Panther Stadium Friday.
The Panthers (2-2 in 2-4A Conference, 3-3 overall) will host Southside Batesville (3-1 in 2-4A Conference, 5-2) and hope not only to slow down the Southerners’ running game, but move up a notch in the conference standings. Southside and Lonoke are tied for second place in the conference, one game ahead of Heber Springs.
The Southerners rolled past Central Arkansas Christian 59-19 last week, while the Panthers escaped with a 14-7 win at Bald Knob.
“We were put in a difficult situation with our starting quarterback (Xander Lindley) was injured early in the game,” Heber Springs coach Todd Wood said. “The injury forced us to find other ways to win. We pulled it out and won on the road. That game built our confidence and tells the guys if you keep fighting, good things can happen.”
Lindley suffered a broken collarbone and will miss the remainder of the season. Easton Cusick, who starts at wide receiver, moved to quarterback. Cusick completed 9-of-16 passes for 56 yards and one touchdown, and he rushed nine times for 27 yards.
“Cusick played in other games and took snaps in practice, but he was put in a different situation,” Wood said. “We talked at halftime, made a few adjustments. He led the team well during the second half.”
Wood changed blocking assignments and adjusted two plays.
“We made changes at halftime for the offensive line and went with shorter patterns in the passing game,” Wood said. “The change gave more time to pass and helped Cusick to read the defense better.”
Wood said the defense kept the team in the game during the first half, stopping Bald Knob four times in five possessions, all that started on the Panthers’ side of midfield. Kenan Sneed’s interception return early during the fourth quarter keyed the Panthers’ comeback.
“I can’t say enough about the defense, especially during the first half,” Wood said. “The defense played lights out. Sneed’s interception return for a touchdown was the turning point. The Bulldogs surprised us by going for the first down late in the game. Our defense shut them down and got the ball back.”
Dalton Yancey caught two passes for 24 yards, but his 18-yard reception on fourth down late in the game set up the winning touchdown.
“If we don’t get the first down, we don’t have the last two plays and score the touchdown,” Wood said. “Dalton found a way to get open and got in a good spot. Eastern scrambled, threw a good pass and kept us alive.”
Heber Springs plans no major changes on defense, but preparing to slow down the Southside running game. The Southerners rushed for 480 yards and eight touchdowns against CAC.
“Southside is rolling with a win against Lonoke and took Stuttgart to the wire,” Wood said. “Their style of offense is difficult to defend. They have speed in the backfield, and the line is very athletic and strong.”
Quarterback Landen Haas directs Southside’s Wing-T attack with running threats like Nick Risner, Jacob Dunne, Brandon Lopez and Steven Riggs. Dunne ran for three touchdowns and Risner scored two touchdowns in last week’s game.
The Southerners also have the capability to throw the ball downfield. Tyler Jones is one of Haas’ primary targets.
“They have the pieces for a good team,” Wood said. “We need to control the ball and execute well. It’s a good combo when a team can run and pass the ball effectively. That puts pressure on the defense. We must be ready for the run and the pass.”
Coaches often worry about the distractions at homecoming to players, but Wood said his team will handle them well.
“I mentioned to the players they need to enjoy all of the festivities,” Wood said. “They need to focus on the game when it is time to play.”
Wood explained the keys to a third straight win for the Panthers.
“Offensively, we need to control the ball and adjust to a new quarterback,” he said. “The game will be decided on the line of scrimmage. The defense must read its keys and play physical. We played well again CAC and Bald Knob, which were running teams. We need to force them to pass.”
NOTES
- Kickoff: 7 p.m.
- Admission: $5
- Radio/Streaming: Billy Morgan with handle the play-by-play with Lance Hamilton providing color on KSUG 101.9 The Lake. Panther Pregame begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by the game. Steaming is available on The Lake’s YouTube page.
- Homecoming: The Homecoming parade begins at 2 p.m. and ends with a pep rally in downtown at 2:30 p.m. Tailgating starts at 4 p.m. A track-naming dedication ceremony for coaches Harold Wilson and Johnette Goldman at 5:30 p.m. and the homecoming ceremony at 6:15 p.m.
THE SERIES: Heber Springs lead 13-2
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the 16th time these two teams have meet on the football field since Southside Batesville started its football program in 2006. Heber Springs won the first 10 meetings in the series before the Southerners claimed a 24-20 victory at home in 2016 before the Panthers would win the next two. Southside Batesville has won only once at Panther Stadium, 48-20, in 2019. The Panthers won last season 22-17 at Southside Batesville.
2A-4 CONFERENCE STANDINGS
W L CP W L PS PA
Stuttgart 4 0 42 6 1 251 126
Lonoke 3 1 39 6 1 232 111
Southside Batesville 3 1 28 5 2 256 137
Clinton 2 2 23 3 4 182 222
Little Rock Mills 2 2 26 5 2 282 186
Heber Springs 2 2 20 3 3 126 153
Bald Knob 0 4 0 0 7 81 209
Central Arkansas Christian 0 4 0 2 5 178 337
Friday, October 16
Heber Springs 14, Bald Knob 7
Southside Batesville 59, Central Arkansas Christian 19
Lonoke 35, Little Rock Mills 6
Stuttgart 43, Clinton 14
Friday, October 23
Southside Batesville at Heber Springs
Bald Knob at Clinton
Stuttgart at Little Rock Mills
Central Arkansas Christian at Lonoke
PHOTO: Heber Springs Homecoming Pep Rally
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PHOTO: Panther of the Week
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Final seconds belong to Panthers
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By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
BALD KNOB — Sometimes the best play is not one in the playbook, and it worked for the Heber Springs Panthers against Bald Knob.
Parker Brown caught a 15-yard pass from backup quarterback Easton Cusick with 5.6 seconds left for a 14-7 win in a 2-4A Conference football game on the rain-soaked grass at Bulldog Stadium on Friday.
The touchdown completed a fourth-quarter rally and the first time Heber Springs won back-to-back games since the 2019 season.
The win moved the Panthers (2-2 in conference, 3-3) into a tie fourth place with Clinton and Little Rock Mills in the conference standings.
Bald Knob led 7-0 at the half and at the end of the third quarter.
The winning drive started at the Bulldog 38 with 2:19 left in the game. Bald Knob forced the Panthers into a fourth-and-2 at the 30-yard line. Cusick rolled to his left and connected on a 15-yard pass to Dalton Yancey for a first down at the 15-yard line.
After Cusick threw incomplete, he hit Brown in stride at the 1-yard line for the game winner.
“We wanted to spread the defense,” Heber Springs coach Todd Wood said. “We decided not to try and kick a field goal because we were going into the wind. We made two adjustments on the play and asked Parker to run to the middle, and he did that perfectly. Cusick hit him in stride.”
Parker caught the pass at the 1 and scored untouched.
“That was a great play call by coach Wood,” Cusick said. “Parker cut inside and caught the ball. It was a beautiful play and worked out perfectly.”
“We wanted to get it in the end zone,” Brown said. “The coaches said we could do it by getting the ball to the middle of the defense.”
Wood said Kenan Sneed’s 48-yard interception return earlier in the fourth quarter switched the momentum. Sneed’s score came with 10:02
“The game changed after Sneed’s pick six,” Wood said. “It gave energy to our team. We had turned the ball over on downs, but Sneed’s pick turned the tide.”
Bald Knob stopped Heber Springs on downs inside the Bulldog 30-yard line. Quarterback Leason Pierce’s pass bounced off the chest of a Bald Knob receiver into the hands of Sneed.
“The (Bald Knob) offensive line stepped back and I read the play immediately,” Sneed said. “The ball hit the player in the chest and popped into the air. I happened to be in the right place. I thought they would catch me and ran as fast as I could.”
Cusick, who had been a starting wide receiver, completed 9-of-16 passes for 56 yards. He replaced Xander Lindley, who suffered a broken collarbone.
“Hats off to Easton,” Wood said. “He took a few snaps in games and works at quarterback during practice. Easton came up to me on the sidelines and asked, ‘Coach, let me have the ball and let me go.’ I followed his lead, and he did a fantastic job.”
Cusick, who was not sacked during the second half, admitted that he was nervous in the beginning, but felt more comfortable after halftime.
“It’s more nerve wrecking in a game than in practice,” he said. “The second half was more relaxing, and we were moving the ball. We pulled together, and I could not have done this without my teammates.”
Sneed said the availability of a net helped Cusick and the team regroup at halftime.
“Easton kicked into a net during halftime inside the dressing room and also worked on passing. He was ready to play in the second half.”
Bald Knob started in Heber Springs territory on all five first-half possessions — 43-, 18-, 19-, 30- and 29-yard lines. The Panthers, who had only one penalty for 5 yards, held the Bulldogs to 84 of its 191 yards of offense during the first half and forced three turnovers on the night.
Heber Springs was limited to 13 yards during the first half and 139 yards for the game.
Pierce, who rushed for a game-high 121 yards on 29 carries, needed only one play to put Bald Knob on the scoreboard. After a short punt into the wind, he scored on a 19-yard keeper with 9:01 left in the first half. Marcus McGahee kicked the extra point for the 7-0 lead.
The Bulldogs had an opportunity to increase the lead, but McGahee, with the wind at his back, missed a 45-yard field goal attempt with 52 seconds to go until halftime.
“Our defense kept us in the game during the first half,” Wood said. “They understood the situation and did a fantastic job. We were in a situation when things were going against us and put our backs against the wall. But the players continued to fight.”
Heber Springs will return home and play Southside Batesville, a 59-19 winner against Central Arkansas Christian, on Friday.
“It’s a good feeling with back-to-back wins,” Wood said. “Our guys understand we must take one game a time. Southside is very good team, and we will now focus on them.”
HEBER SPRINGS AT BALD KNOB October 15, 2021 Heber Springs (3-3, 2-2) 0 0 0 14 - 14 Bald Knob (0-6, 0-4) 0 7 0 0 - 7 SECOND QUARTER BK - Leason Pierce 20-yard run (Marcus McGahee kick), 9:07 FOURTH QUARTER HS - Kenan Sneed 48-yard interception return (Gideon Tate kick), 10:02 HS - Easton Cusick to Parker Brown 15-yard pass (Tate kick), :5.6 TEAM STATISTICS FIRST DOWNS: HS 11, BK 10 RUSHES-YARDS: HS 35/83, BK 44/177 PASSING YARDS: HS 56, BK 14 COMP-ATT-INT: HS 9-17-1, BK 2-7-2 TOTAL OFFENSE: HS 139, BK 191 FUMBLES: HS 1, BK 1 PENALITIES-YARDS: HS 1/5, BK 9/75 PUNTS-AVERAGE: HS 4/23, BK 2/37 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING: HS, Parker Brown 19/64, Easton Cusick 9/27, Kenan Sneed 1/4, Jackson West 1/3, Xander Lindley 4/(-5), Team 1/(-10). BK, Leason Pierce 29/121, Dane Lindsey 14/54, Team 1/2. PASSING: HS, Cusick 9/16-56-1/1, Lindley 0/1-0-0/0. BK, Pierce 2/7-14-0/2 RECEVING: HS, Austin Winchester 3/9, Dalton Yancey 2/24, Jackson West 2/11, Parker Brown 1/15, Chris Edwards 1/(-3). BK, Hunter Deflorian 1/13, Dane Lindsey 1/1. KICKOFF RETURNS: BK, Marcus McGahee 1/13, Langston Lindsey 1/7 PUNT RETURNS: None INTERCEPTION RETURNS: HS, Kenan Sneed 1/48, Dalton Yancey 1/3. BK, Langston Lindsey 1/4 FUMBLE RETURNS: None PUNTS: HS, Cusick 4/92, Chris Gomez 2/74.